COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN NATURAL RESOURCES GOVERNANCE: AN EXPOSITION OF THE OUTCOMES OF ALTERNATIVE MINING INDABAS IN ZIMBABWE (original) (raw)
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2018
This study examined the impact of mining on the environmental rights of the people of the Mapanzure area in Zvishavane. Zvishavane district is located along the great Dyke belt, which is a hub to many valuable minerals such as chrome, diamonds, platinum and gold. The abundance of mineral deposits has attracted many mining companies to establish their operations in the area. Illegal artisanal miners are also dominant in the area. Mapanzure community is one of the areas that have been mostly impacted by mining in Zvishavane. Mining activities have violated different environmental rights of the people such as the right to clean and safe water, the right to a safe and sustainable environment and the right to environmental information. A sample of forty respondents was selected using purposive sampling. The target research population comprised of the local community members, local traditional leadership, government officials as well as the miners themselves. The data were collected through interviews, participant observation and questionnaires. The results revealed that mining is indeed infringed the fundamental rights of the people as evidenced by the violation of the right to a safe and sustainable environment, right to environmental information and ecological degradation. Many people lost their means of living due to land degradation and depletion of grazing land as the livelihoods of most locals were dependant on agriculture and livestock.
Mining and Development in Southern Zimbabwe: Myth or Reality in Gwanda District
Current Progress in Arts and Social Studies Research Vol. 3, 2024
has been a contested terrain. Of late in Zimbabwe, the government has embarked on a massive indigenisation drive that has seen large-scale mines compelled by law to seed at least 10% of their mineral revenue to CSOTS. The authors recommend the harmonisation of legislation that affects harnessing of mineral resources by local communities will ensure community empowerment, poverty reduction and infrastructure development in mining districts in southern Zimbabwe.
Chapter 3: Mining and Development in Southern Zimbabwe: Myth or Reality in Gwanda District
Current Progress in Arts and Social Studies Research, 2024
has been a contested terrain. Of late in Zimbabwe, the government has embarked on a massive indigenisation drive that has seen large-scale mines compelled by law to seed at least 10% of their mineral revenue to CSOTS. The authors recommend the harmonisation of legislation that affects harnessing of mineral resources by local communities will ensure community empowerment, poverty reduction and infrastructure development in mining districts in southern Zimbabwe.
This book is a compilation of research papers written by authors from East and Southern African and American based social and environmental advocacy groups. The papers were prepared and presented during the 2009 Skills Share and Learning Exchange Conference and Outreach Visit Programme held in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Skills Share and Learning Exchange Programme was designed to act as a forum for social and environmental justice practitioners to share skills and experiences on strategies to secure and protect the rights of natural resource dependent communities in East and Southern Africa with the technical and financial support of the Ford Foundation. Additionally, the programme was established in order to strengthen and broaden the capacities of social and environmental justice activists to advocate, litigate and research on community rights. The 2009 edition was running under the theme “securing environmental, economic, social and cultural rights of communities in mining areas”. It was aimed at ensuring that participants understand and share their ideas about how best community assets and rights in mining areas can be promoted and protected.
The Mining Industry in Zimbabwe: Challenges for Sustainable Development
Mining plays a key role in Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing 5% and 23% to the country’s gross domestic (GDP) and total exports, respectively. It also generates foreign currency and supplies raw materials to some industries. As a ‘robber’ industry, it extracts minerals from the earth without replacing them. It also creates deep shafts and ugly pits which damage the landscape. In addition it causes environmental pollution and is a threat to the tranquillity of the natural environment. Based on information that was collected in August 2017, this paper discusses various aspects of the mining industry. These include Zimbabwe’s mining legislation, environmental impacts of the mining industry at global level, in the SADC region and in Zimbabwe. Problems which confront the industry as well as their possible solutions in Zimbabwe are also examined. From a sustainable development (SD) point of view, mining poses a serious danger which should be addressed at both local and national levels. Sin...
2018
I give thanks be to Lord Almighty who made it possible for me to undertake this project successfully. It would be impossible to acknowledge, name by name, all those people and institutions who contributed in various ways to the success of this study. However, it is again impossible not to acknowledge the contributions made by the following people to the research study. Firstly, I wish to thank my supervisor, Mr. Arnold Chidakwa, for his guidance, encouragement, helpful incites and suggestions, comments and advice throughout my work on this thesis. Special appreciation goes to my family for being there for me in time of need and also for the love and care throughout my research study. Worth mentioning is my son Kutenda who was born in the middle of the research study. His long detention in hospital made me appreciate life from a different and practical perspective and that helped a lot on the research. Appreciation also goes to my work mates Polite Masvaure,
Impact of the extractives sector on women in selected mining communities in Zimbabwe
OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol. 08, No. 12, pp. 45-72, 2015, 2015
The fact that mining constitute a major contributor to Zimbabwean economy cannot be overemphasized with the sector contributing more than 60% of the country`s export earnings. However, its contributory role to the economy has been overshadowing its impact on communities, especially women. This paper, thus, is a result of an action research on the impact of mining and the extractive industry in general on women in selected mining communities in Zimbabwe. The study was commissioned by Actionaid International Zimbabwe and conducted by the Development Governance Institute between March and May 2015. The principal focus of the study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between women and the extractive industry. In doing so, the research contributes to the design of context specific and appropriate strategies as well as actions to protect and uphold women's rights in mining communities. Further, the investigation identified the strategies adopted by women to safeguard their rights. This put into perspectives of women engaged in mining activities whether small scale or large scale; positive and negative externalities in relation to water, land, environment, violence, pollution and social capital emerging from mining; and the role of women in collective action organisations advocating for mutually beneficial and sustainable mining activities. The study also analysed the legal, policy, institutional and community mechanisms that exist with a view to explaining why some of the negative impacts of mining on women persist. This is because governance is vital to promoting positive relationships between the extractive industry and the community in particular, women. In this regard, the research investigated mining governance arrangements (law, policy, institutions) and ascertained how these are reinforcing negative impacts on women. Further, the research assessed the effectiveness of mining governance arrangements in advancing women's rights and proposes changes to safeguard women's rights in the mining sector. The third focus of the study was on citizens' agency in affected communities, women in particular in bringing mining companies to account for reinforcing women's rights. Suggestions on how to strengthen women`s agency in claiming their rights in the mining sector are made on the back of analysis of field data. The research focused on the feasibility of women movements being at the centre of advocating for desired change. Most importantly, focus was placed on how women and civil society coalitions can change the relationship between women and mining companies; and an institutional mapping of key authorities and stakeholders to which lobbying, advocacy and action can be directed
Harnessing Mineral Resources in Gwanda District of Zimbabwe: A Myth or a Reality?
International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 2014
The article examines strategies of harnessing mineral resources for community empowerment, poverty reduction and infrastructure development in mining areas of Zimbabwe. Despite abundant mineral resources, the majority of Zimbabwean indigenous communities living close to the mines have limited access to directly or indirectly benefit from the mineral resources. Using a descriptive survey to collect data, this research article gives a strong proposition on how the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act can be used as a vehicle of harnessing mineral resources. The article argues that pro poor mining policies that ensure the harnessing of mineral resources for community empowerment, poverty reduction and infrastructure development are paramount. The article further argues that the Indigenous and Economic Empowerment Act needs to be harmonised with other sector legislation in the country. The article concludes that the development of infrastructure and provision of public utilities such as electricity, water, establishing micro-credit to small and medium enterprises and implementing broad-based indigenisation policies are some of the strategies of improving rural livelihoods. Similarly direct and indirect linkages between the mining sector and local economy could be enhanced through the provision of food supply to the mine, manufacture of mining inputs, provision of security services and supply of labour by the local community. The article recommends that the harmonisation of legislation that has an effect on harnessing of mineral resources by local communities will ensure community empowerment, poverty reduction and infrastructure development.
2016
their advantage. The astronomically high unemployment levels in the country have exacerbated the attendant poverty levels, which has led to local communities seeking alternative survival strategies. In the case of Nyamuzuwe, the local community has embarked on the exploitation of black granite quarry to irk out a living. However, it has been noted that the local community has derived socio-economic benefits from the quarrying venture, while on the other hand, the quarrying activity has taken its toll on the local environment. Consequently, the paper examines the socio-economic and environmental impacts of black granite quarrying on local communities in the community of Mutoko District. A total of 185 respondents were selected through random sampling and data was collected through questionnaires. Additionally, focus group discussions and interviews were conducted to establish the extent of spin-offs from black granite quarrying which cumulatively brought infrastructural development, ...
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 2022
Abstract: Research to date on local content development (LCD) has been largely focused on gas and oil with little being said regarding other sectors such as platinum mining. The definitions offered by different scholars with regards to LCD have also been biased towards economic and political perspectives at the expense of the social aspect of the subject. Such a narrow understanding of LCD has only considered the interest of the private sector and the host government while neglecting the potential input of mining communities in the mining value chain. This paper focuses on community-based activism and LCD in the platinum mining communities of Zimbabwe. Through desk research, participant observation, and key informant interviews conducted targeting community-based activists, it was found that mining communities view LCD mainly as a social justice issue infusing it in the discourse of mining frames that embrace the economic, political, and social dimensions of LCD. LCD and social justice advocate socio-politico-economic fairness, equity, and equality and indeed both converge on egalitarianism. The paper contributes to knowledge on LCD and community activism. It recommends that mining policy and legislative frameworks be sensitive to the social implications of mining on local mining communities. Key Words: Local Content Development, Social Justice, Mining Sector